Automatic driving and reversing mechanism.



No. 812,318. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906. W. B. YATES.

AUTOMATIC DRIVING AND REVERSING MECHANISM. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1904.

' 2 SHEETSSH EET l.

ATTORNEY PATENTED FEB. 13

W. B. YATES. ING AND REVERSING MEUHANISM.

I AUTOMATIC DRIY APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1904.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEY WILLIAM B. YATES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC DRIVING AND REVERSING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed September 19, 1904. Serial No. 225,110.

To all whom z't may concern.-

Be 1t knownthat I, WILLIAM B. YATEs,"a

citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook-and 5 State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Drivin? and Reversing Mechanisms, of which the f lowing is a specification.

This invention has for its purpose the auto- I0."matic reversal of machinery whennsing only s one pulley as a driver, or a first motion shaftrotating at all times in one direction.

I do not limit myself to rotating the drivingsha-ft by a pulley or gear driven from a r train or be t, as. other means maybe used to accomplish this end, as an electric motor, steam pr gas engine, water motor or turbine, 'runmn'g only a given direction, in which the driving-sh it may be a part of the appa- :0 rat os, communicating motion to the drivingshaftin one direction, or the various forms of motors Inay be separate machines and the power transmitted by belt, chain, rope, gearmg or one of the various forms of ordinary use, s' since the essentialfeatures of this invention 1 lie not in what means gives motion to a driv-- dug shaft or pulley, but in producing a re-' .ve rsal in .amachine automatically virbyhaud, .if so desired, from a driving shart or pulley 3o rotating in one direction onl In illustrating and describing this invention I have shown it attachedv to a rotary washing-machine, as used in steani-laundries, where the rotating vessel containing the articles being washed is reversed automatically at a determmed point, which may be two to three revolutions, by means of straight and crossed belts, shifted on pulleys in the usual method, but by a single belt and pulley in my im- 0 proved device.

Figure 1 is a general'elevation of the device as attached to a rotary washing-machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the pressure-cylinder with four-way cock, its connection with the friction driving-wheels, and their relation to the large friction-Wheel which is fast on the tuumion oi' the cylindrical vessel. Fig. 4 shows the sector driving-pinion and its connection frictionally with the end of the trunnion. Fig. 5 is anenlargcd view of the brakeshoe and eccentric operating spindle in action, and Fig. 6 shows the same released from its controlling contact.

Like letters of reference in all the figures dc.- note like parts.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is lhc general housing supporting the various mcmhersol tlns device in combination. B is a single belt-pulley scourcd on the quill of the driving-pinion which rotates in one direction on the trunnion I), meshing with and driving toothed gear E, which meshes with and drives toothed gea'r F. These toothed gears E and .F are fast on their respective s )indles G and ll, and the friction driving-mils .l and J are also fast, rcspectively, on spindles II and G. i

K is :iswinging cradle suingingon trunnion 'D, supported in the bracket L, which in turn is supported on and securely bolted to the housing A.

Spindles G and are journalcd and revolve in their respective bearings M M M M." of the swinging cradle K.

Attached to the long side of the swinging cradle K is a piston-rod N of the piston of the pressure cylinder 1 Attached to the pressure-cylinder I is a four way cock (Q. whose plug and spindle nrepinncd to tho lcvor It, and this in turn is connected with the tappet-rod S, which carries sliding tamiet-plates T and T bracket U supporting the other end of tappet-rod S, which has a sliding movement through the bracket for a determineddistance, and the sliding part of rod S is prcferahly cylindrical.

V is a toothcd sector carrying the tappctpin N, and X is a toothed pinion frictionally attached to trunnion Y and gives motion to the toothed sector V. ()n trunnion Y is keyed the large driven friction-wheel Z.

a is a connection from the swinging cradle K to the brake-lever (2, attached to the eccentric spindle which supports and gives motion to the brake-shoc (Z. The eccentric spindle has its hearings in the housing A.

e is the outside casing of the wnshclgfthc revolving cylindrical vessel, both shown in section, and g is a friction-wheel sccurcd to shafting supported in the swinging arm '1", while is a pressure-bolt pressing frictiom wheel g toward the large friction-wheel Z.

The friction driviugnvheels are shown provided with elastic contact-collars J and I.

The operation of automatic rcvcrsal is as follows: The pu-llcy B, attauwhcd to gear (l, rcvolvcs always in one direction and gives motion to gear I) and friction driving-heel I, both of which are keyed on spindle .ll and revolve in an opposite direction to B and C. Gear l6 mcshcs with gear F, which, with the friction driving-roll J, is keyed on spindle G are.

and has opposite direction of motion to E and I. These friction driving-rolls are brought alternately'in contact with the large friction- Wheel Z and give it motion in one direction or the op osite. This alternate contact is attained t rough the swinging cradle K, pi voted on the trunnion D.' To propel the large friction-wheel. Z by either of the friction d'riving-rolls I or J, pressure must be applied to the friction-surfac'ein cdnta ct and maintained positively until reversal takes place. This pressure in either direction is derived from the movable piston O in the pressure-cylinder P, connected to the swinging cradle K by the piston-rod N. It isseen that to give pressure in both up and down direction of the piston O the pressing medium, which may be steam, water, compressed-air, or other available fluid, must be admitted alternately to either side of the piston, and this is done by suitable valve mechanism actuated by the member to be reversed and in some cases by hand-lever or treadl, at the will of the cperator. As shown in the drawings forming a part of this specification, this admission to and exhaust from the cylinder of the pressure medium is through the four-way cock Q, the plug of which receives itsvibratory motion from the tappetin W of the sector V, striking the tappet-p ates T and T The vibratory movement of the plug is through an arc of ninety degrees for a four-way cock whose ways are at right angles to'each other,

and this amount of motion is positively determined by suitable stops. The toothed sector V receives its motion from the toothed pinion X, held by frictional contact to the end of the trunnion Y.

The form of stop shown in Fig. I is secured, by making one end of the square tappet-rod S round for the re uire'd amount of motion, this round part sliding through the supporting-bracket U and having a collar pinned on the end. i

Since the vibrato motion of the four-way cock Q and its mova le connections R, S, and

V is of a determined positive amount, it is obvious that any movement beyond this would cause breakage of some of the parts, and to prevent this some compensatory means is required. It is not always possible to stop a heavily-loaded revolving cylinder of a machine of this class at an exactly-predetermined point. The momentum of the moving mass must be absorbed, and even with an excellent brake it is not absolute; hence the need of compensatory means; This is attained. by frictional attachment of the pinion X to the trunnion of the revolving cylnder, and the amount of friction required to drive the sector V being small the pinion will slip easily on the trunnion, preventin breakage of the members in connection wit the plug of the four-way cock.

In machines of this class a means of vary ing the travel between reversals readily is a desideratum. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be readily seen that by varying the position of the tappetplate's T and T along the rod S the travel between reversals may beincreased or diminished.

The brake ressure is applied to the large friction-whee Z by the vibratory motion communicated to the eccentric brake-spindle 0 operating to and fro the brake-shoe cl. The brake-pressure is greatest on wheel Z- when the brake eccentric s indie is midway in its motion and is entirey released at the ex tremity of either throw, the point at which the friction driving-rolls will one or the other he in driving contact with the friction-gurface of Z. w l

' I do not limit myself to any particularstyle of friction-gearing, as man are suitable for this purpose and are detai s of ordinary acceptance in design and the subjects of expired patents of Evans and others. Neither do I limit myself to merely reversin the cylinder of a washing-machine, as wit modifications in construction which do not impair the essence of the invention it may be adapt ed to provide a reversing means for various 'machines and apparatus and for either reciprocating or rotatin parts; nor do I claim anything but cylin rical friction-surlaccs or an equal ratio of forward and reverse movement, as it is evident that surfaces of disks in contact or variable ratios of forward and reverse movement are equally well adapted to be incorporated with such a mechanism withgut departing from the spirit of my invention;

ut I What I do claim as new, and desire to so cure by Letters Patent, is '1. A frictional transmission mechanism having aplurality of driving-members, a driven member and fluid-pressureoperated means adapted to alternately b driven member. into engagement driving members.

2. In a driving and reversing in a plurality of positively-driven rotating in opposite directions, member adapte driven to contact with said rolls, at predetermined intervals, and a fluids pressure organ for controliing said contact.

3. A drivin and reversing mechanism hav ng a plura ity or positively-driven fricmember ada ted to be riven in opposite directions by ictional contact with said rolls and. means adapted to cause said contact at predetermined intervals.-

4. A triction driving and reversing mechanism having a plurality of sitivelydriven friction-rolls, a driven mem r, a fluid-pressure cylinder and piston, and transmission mechanism between said piston frictionrolls adapted to alternately bring sen rolls i into driving contact with the driven member.

tion-rolls rotating in o posite directions, a

5. In africtiondriving and reversing mechanism, a single power-shaft moving, con'- stantly in one direction, a plurality of fricwhich t ber ada ted to receivealternately motion in either irection through contact with the rolls, a fluid-pressure organ connected with the swinging ournals of the rolls for the purpose of forclng them alternatel into contact with the driven member at pre etermined intervals, and means whereby the travel of the driven member admits fluid-pressure to one and the other side of the fiuid-pressure organ, causing reversal of the direction of motion at predetermined intervals. 1 I

6. In a driving and reversing mechanism,

a prime mover runni in one direction, a

swm ing cradle, suita le gearing carried there and friction driving-rolls, with a fluid-pressunernechanism ada ted to operate the swinging cradle to give said rolls the necessary pressure for pro ulsion.

7 Ina reversing mec anism, the combina-' tion of a prime mover runnin in one direction, a swinging cradle, suitab e gearing carried thereby, and friction driving-rolls, with a valve-operated pressure mechanism adapted to alternate the pressure on said rolls, to

give the necessar contact for propulsion in one or the other direction.

8. In a reversing mechanism, the combination of a prime mover runnin in one direction, and a swinging cradle, suitable positive, power-transmitting gearing and friction drivin and pressure-giving mechanism for propu sion carried thereby, with a suitable valve or cock, tappet-rod, tappetlate, sector or rack carryin a tappetin, a operated from the body to e reversed? 9. "In a reversing mechanism, the combination of a prime mover revolving in onedirection a swinging cradle, suitable positive, power-transmitting gearing and friction driv- 1115, and pressure-giving mechanism for prop sion carried thereby, a suitable valve or lcock, tappet-rod, tappet-plates, sector or rack ca ing a ta et-pin, and a pinion frictionally ttached Ed the bed to be reversed, giving movement to the ot er members, in the manner specified, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM B. YATEb 

